Kevin Stefanski had been chosen as coach of the year last season and for a long time received nothing but praise for his work on the Cleveland Browns. In the 2024 NFL season the situation is different. His team has a 2-8 record and his role is mired in criticism, mostly before a crucial game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A two-game losing streak is not the best prelude to facing the best team in the division. Sitting in last place in the AFC North are Stefanski’s Browns with a 2-8 record, the complete opposite of the Steelers‘ 8-2 mark.
Last year’s regular season reflected a different reality for the Browns. Stefanski’s team finished second and made the playoffs with an 11-6 record, including a win over Pittsburgh. This year, Stefanski knows that those days are now behind him, and he must defend his position in the face of criticism.
Stefanski was clear about his future as Cleveland Browns coach
“I’m smart enough not to listen to outside noise about my work. I grew up listening to that, that’s life in the big city. My only goal is to prepare the Browns to get a win,” Stefanski clarified about his present and future as Cleveland’s head coach.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski prior to a Wild Card playoff game between the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans in Houston, TX.
Stefanski’s contract extension
In June of this year, in the lead-up to a new NFL season, the Browns secured Stefanski’s continuity by signing a contract extension for him and general manager Andrew Berry, retaining the duo that began working in Cleveland in 2020. This campaign was not the best for the 42-year-old head coach, who has plenty of credit to show what a positive presence he can be for the franchise.
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Stefanski’s arrival: a before and after for the Browns
Stefanski has led the Browns tactically since the 2020 season, when he was named Head Coach of the Year. Since then, a franchise that had struggled to find its way in the league has gone 39-38 in the regular season (37-30 prior to the current campaign).
The duo of Berry and Stefanski know they can’t live in the past. Since 2020, and prior to the start of the current season, the Browns had the highest winning percentage (.552) for the club in a four-year period since the 1986-1989 stretch. There is no doubt that overall it is a positive cycle, but in 2024 the criticism is a wake-up call just hours before a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Steelers that does not look encouraging.
